Lord make me a lion.

 This week was one of those sermons that stepped all over my toes and had me feeling all kinds of convicted.

Yesterday our pastor reference the fable The Lion and the Gazelle.

Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest line or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle when the sun comes up... You better be running.

There seems to be an underlining theme here. The first chance that the gazelles have to run, they run. They don't hesitate. And to the lions, there is no choice or thing more important but to chase. They wake up and chase after the most important thing to them.

That got me thinking, what am I?

Am I lion or gazelle?

Am I running just to get through the day?

Just to survive?

Or am I chasing after something like my life depends on it?

What if what if I treated Jesus like the lions treated chasing the gazelle?

What if I treated him like He was the most important thing to chase?

What if I woke up and set my eyes on him, only him?

What if I set aside the chores, the emails, or my social media.

Often I set Him aside and replace it Him with a "must get done list". And I fail to remember the very one my life depends on, the one who is above all is getting my leftovers.

One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:6


He is the one who should have our heart not his gifts that he gives us out of mercy, love and grace and surely not the things of this world.

Leaving church yesterday (and even small group) made me want to lay down whatever  things are that keep me from running towards Him like a lion.

Lord make me a lion.

Let me have a heart of a lion. Let me to see that, that feeling, thing, idea, or even person doesn't matter anywhere near as much as You matter. But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

Lord make me a lion.

Let me always remember that You are not in the grave and you are able to handle my mess not matter how messy. Sadly at times I think I have everything under control.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.1 Peter 5:6-7

Lord make me a lion.


I want to have a heart that seeks You first every day of my life; in the times of joy and in the times of struggle. I want to run to you like my eternity depends on it because it does.
For we live by faith, not by sight.2 Corinthians 5:7


Lord make me a lion.

I want to remember your faithfulness  because you will supply my every need I want to run to You first. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the things will be provided for you Matthew 6:33

Lord make me a lion.

Lord, help me to remember to pursue you above all, Lord, make me a lion.

Easy 5 Ingredient Goulash

This is one of those recipes I can whip up with basically anything in the pantry! Its so easy and so good!

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 (15-ounce) can of italian stewed tomatoes
• 1 can of rotel (drain)
• 1 box of Kraft Macaroni-n-cheese or Velveeta shells (family size)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Sauté ground beef in skillet over medium-high heat until cooked. Drain excess grease and season your meat. I season my meat  with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and soy sauce and saute for about 5 minutes. Add Rotel and stewed tomatoes. Stir well. Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
2. In a separate pot cook your mac-n-cheese or shells according to directions on box.
3. Combine the two and add 1 cup of cheddar cheese right before serving.

Sometimes I add in a can of corn, too! This is one of those recipes you can literally add anything that you have in the pantry, ha!

Easy French Dip Sandwiches!

This meal was off-the-charts awesome! And EASY!

All the kids had two sandwiches and my husband had four if that tells you anything, haha!

Making a French dip sandwich sounds a little bit of intimidating and nerve-wracking and I think it's just because its something that we don't eat every day but after making this recipe it's definitely going to be on  repeat at our house!

Here's what you will need:

Although you can use really any sliced beef that you like, I prefer using sliced Philly cheese steak! Here's why: it's already thinly sliced which makes it cook super fast and I buy the Great Value brand which is super affordable (and doesn't come with onions an bell peppers!)! I can cook this meat up from frozen-solid  in about 10 minutes in a skillet!

I season my meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and steak seasoning.

Once my meat is done I take my French bread and make my sandwich layering the meat with mozzarella cheese.

I love to buy the sliced French bread at Walmart because duh, it's only a dollar!

Most of the time they slice it for you already but if it you happen to grab a loaf that's not sliced just take it to the deli and they will slice it for you!

You can make this sandwich on a hoagie bun but they're like triple the price of French bread (and we are trying to cut back on bread at our house- so thinly sliced French bread is a better option!) and the hoagies only come with six to eight sandwiches with a French bread loaf you can make a ton more!

This particular time I bought the "everything seasoned" French bread from Walmart it is by far our favorite!

I love to buy the little package of the Au Jus mix. Its super easy to make.  I use this in several recipes but it is the bomb.com by itself!

Once the sandwiches are made you literally scoop out a little bowl of this goodness and dip your sandwiches in it and it's game over!

This is a super easy and affordable delicious weeknight meal! You can pair it with potato chips, french fries, tater tots, potato salad, or do what I did and dice up some red potatoes and drizzle them with olive oil and ranch packet and roast them in the oven for 30 minutes! Best potatoes ever!

You're welcome, friends!

Ryker is officialy potty-trained!

No one ever warned me about potty training a boy....

CJ: " Stop that, Ryker! Mom! Ryker is pulling his thing again!!"

Me: "Ryker! Pull your pants up and quit pulling on that thing!!"

Ryker: (yelling) "ITS DUS A LIL PECKER, MOM!!!"

I thought our entire family was going to pee our pants.

The plus side- RYKER IS COMPLETLY POTTY TRAINED!

OUR JANUARY MENU

One of my goals for this year is to be better organized. I've done major de-cluttering in our house and I have also managed to get my meal planning under way. #WINNING

I've mentioned to a few friends that I have meal planned for the entire month of January and February and for those of you who would like a copy- here is January!

Often we spend entirely too much money on eating out and that is something I wanted to get under control for 2018. That doesn't mean we wont go out to eat anymore, just not as often. Our week days are SUPER busy with me working full time, kids' practices, tutorials, church, and everything else  so having a set menu has been super helpful!

And bonus- I have already saved a TON of money this year!

You will notice that I don't meal plan for Saturday or  Sunday. Sometimes we spend the weekend at a ball field and at Small Group eating on Sunday so it is pointless for me to try and plan anything for the weekend.

Wednesday is our busiest night by far, the kids have choir and we have church so we always grab fast-food after church. #thekidsfavoritenight

I am also trying to get a way from cooking  on Friday nights so I have those marked as leftovers. We eat whatever is in the fridge this night or you can make yourself whatever you want. So if the kids don't want leftovers they can always fix a PB&J & soup or whatever else they want. Occasionally we do pizza night or just go eat out on Fridays, too- either way I'm not cooking!

You will see a couple of nights I marked FLU. I was sick with the flu and we had a couple of snow days- so I changed my menu a bit for that since we obviously didn't go to church and I just refused to cook Thursday.

I also grocery shop weekly. (I know, I know! Most people are like... WEEKLY?!)

But, weekly works best for our family. I feel like I don't buy a bunch of things we don't need this way. 

Here’s my basic method for planning a month of meals at a time:

1. Print out a calendar for the month. 


2. Plug in regular meals, like Friday Pizza Night, or leftovers, that you have every week.


3. Look at the nights that have activities like practice or church. Plan easy meals on those nights. 


4. Start adding meals into the remaining squares.

That wasn’t hard, was it? Remember you’re not married to this plan. Write it in pencil if it makes you feel less committed. That’s what I do. Feel free to change it up as different things happen throughout the month. By the end of the month, it may look like a very complicated football play, but that’s okay.

So there ya have it- there is what we are eating this month! Now go make one, too!

EASY SPICE RACK FOR $1

If you look at my pantry you'd probably notice two things- that I need to grocery shop more and that I love organization.

When we rebuilt our home I planned on having a built-in spice rack, but somehow that slipped my mind and look... four years have passed.

Today, I got tired of digging for my most-used spices and picked up a three pack of plastic trays from DOLLAR TREE! THEY WERE SERIOUSLY 3 FOR  $1!

A couple of nails later----- I have a quick and easy spice rack! I've only hung two, but I'm loving it!

PIZZA IN LESS THAN 7 MINUTES!

If you have paid attention to any of my recipes- you know that:

1. I am super cheap.

2. I don't cook with more than 5ish ingredients.

3. I LOVE FOOD!

Ya'll, I all about a wholesome dinner, but lets face it, sometimes that is just NOT possible. 

Trust me, we have all been there and had those weeks where you ate out more than you cooked and not only is it super bad for you but its crazy expensive, too! 

It doesn't get easier than this- choose your favorite toppings and in less than 7 minutes, you've got dinner! I know this sounds too good to be true, but here's a simple recipe that kids will love! (and adults, of course.) It’s texas toast PIZZA! So simple and fast to make.

This is one of our favorite recipes to make for a busy weeknight dinner. Everyone loves them! Whether its dinner, a fun play date with a topping bar, or a quick after school snack, I promise you will not regret trying this!

Bonus- take the night off, because your kids will love making these and its so easy that they can!

#MOMWIN!

Ingredients:

• Texas toast
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese or shredded pizza blend cheese
• Your favorite pizza toppings!

Directions:

• Put texas toast on a baking sheet.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 2 minutes (each side)
• Top with sauce, cheese, and meat.
• Broil them on low until heated through (about 2-3 minutes)
• Enjoy!

I pair these with a caesar salad for Josh and I and everyone is happy! 

When we want to change it up a bit, we switch the recipe by subbing the pizza sauce for alfredo sauce and we top them with grilled chicken- SERIOUSLY SO GOOD!!!

College..... for moms.

You may have went to college... Or maybe not.





Either way- whether you did or you didn't, let's face it, sometimes parenting is hard.


 Sometimes I feel like a huge failure.


Sometimes I wish I'd studied a bit more before I jumped into this whole mom-gig.


 Heck, sometimes I just think I need a sister wife.
(But that's a whole other blog post)


If  only they had an online course I could take.


Like... Is there some how-to-parent continuing education hours somewhere I can take?


Does anyone know how I can get re-certified?!


These are all questions I ask myself daily.


Lucky for you- along with help for my toddler this week, alone, I've done all the legwork and put together this super-exclusive-almost-sold-out-free-but-it-doesn't-even-really-exist- list of parenting  courses that would really be helpful if they really even existed.


But they don't.


So that sucks.

Punishment Psychology 101 

This course is to help you realize your kid is not really 'SO CUTE'. I know everyone else has those average kids -and yours well, yours looks like a magical unicorn compared to theirs and you could stare at your kid's face all day, right? Listen, this is just nature's way of  helping us not abandon our kids. Good job, nature. Thank you. But people, please do us all a favor and spank your kid. Even cute kids need spanking, y'all! 

Maternal Cry Management 207 

This course is designed to help you realize there are distinct cries and help you differentiate between them. Parents, it is crucial that you learn these cries. How hard they cry should depend on your reaction. Never. Appear. Concerned. It sounds weird but if you sow any sign of fear over a small tumble it will increase your child's hysterical cry by ten million percent. FACT.

 Everyday Torture 505 - this is an advanced class 

In this class we will teach you how to navigate through the Terrible-Twos where every single day you feel like you are trapped in a Jumanji game, only scarier.  Examples: You ask your toddler to eat - they scream like a wild Banshee. You tell your toddler it's bedtime -  they think the world is ending and their hair is on fire. 

Managing a Picky Eater 200 

Where you will learn about the kid who loves chicken nuggets one night, then refuses to have anything to do with it the next but strangely enough he will eat it from your plate because your food will always taste better than his. Hey - maybe it's your full size fork that makes it taste better. Either way he will refuse bites from his Superman plate and matching cutlery set. If you prefer eating with no one in your lap- this course is for you!

Refusing Sleep 101 

They're rubbing their eyes. Their face is red. They're bumping into things and they look drunk on cheap wine. Why won't your kid down and go to sleep? Why are they fighting this? All of these answers and more can be found in this exclusive class. (This class fills up fast!)

Listen... I'll say it again, parenting is hard, people. Aside from being super-sad that these awesome classes don't really even exist, I am equally sad that there is not a night-club out there somewhere with a room just for over weight moms. Somewhere we could all sit around in our PJs  and eat Nutella out of a jar- because I'd totally get a sitter for that!

But hey, what do I know? 

I'm just a Liar & Catfisher -woman... 

Standing in front of a clock... 

Asking it to be my kids bedtime.

MY NEW RIDE

I know, I know. You, I,  and 50 billion people  swore they would NEVER drive a minivan.

But look, here we are and I don't know about you, BUT I'M KILLIN IT!

Yeah, I said it. I drive a minivan. What's that? Are you laughing? You think that's funny? Cause I got something funny for you too. Your mama. Now that's funny

My MV is the smoothest, sickest ride in town, best  believe dat.

(Look! Here I am spotting one of my friends who is wishing they were me!)

My temporary dealer plate says "MLF" and no I didn't plan that. Shoot, I didn't even know what that meant until someone told me. I thought it meant, "My little fat sweet minivan!" Straight up.

Straight up, they put MLF on my plate. From the dealer. MLF. From. The. Dealer.

 (Here I am scoping out the new journeys I will take in the new MV. The possibilities are endless.)

That's the plan, Stan. That's what I drive fool.

Jealous?

I'd be jealous, too.

The thing is huge!

I can literally shop for dayzzzz.

I can sit Indian-style in the back and change my kid's diaper.

Or meditate. Whatever I feel, yo.

Dude, my family of six could sleep comfortably in this thing!

It was the single best decision we have ever made. I see moms still lifting their toddlers in big SUVs and then climbing in to buckle them.

I loved my crossover and my previous SUVs but the comfort and ease of a minivan with four kids is not something I will soon give up.

Six people, a stroller, pack-n-play, potty chair, 6 fold out chairs & a cooler, we CAN GO ANYWHERE. The storage is amazing!!!!

Its so roomy!

Its even got room fo your mama. And I heard your mama is U-G-L-Y and she ain't got no alibi, but she can ride in my minivan. Because I'm a nice person.

***

Now introducing:

Madam Lady Grayce Silverstein

(She's super British.)